Abdullah's Double-Double Gives Warriors the Win

By Francisco Claudio

 

Westcliff men's basketball team is nearing a very important part of the season in which every game can be crucial in determining their post-season outcome.

Last weekend they traveled to La Sierra University where they looked to bounce back from their previous loss.

A strong second-half performance helped the Warriors get back in the winning column as they defeated La Sierra, 84-73.

Westcliff scored the first buckets of the game when Micaiah Hankins went to the line after getting fouled on his three-point attempt.

This gave the Warriors the momentum early on as they took an early lead of 10-2, within the first minutes of play.

Getting a good start to their games and taking early leads has been a common pattern for the Warriors that has resulted in a positive result.

At the end of the first half, the Warriors held a one-possession lead, 43-40.

Again, as the second half started Westcliff was able to land the first blow that set them up for success throughout the rest of the game.

To start the second half they went on an 8-0 run which extended their lead to double-digits, 51-40.

This goes to show how important it is to start each half on a positive note and try to land the first buckets against the opponent.

For the remainder of the second half, Westcliff was able to stay on top and had firm control of the ball game.
 
Abdul Abdullah scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. This was another solid performance by Abdullah who now has six double-doubles for the season, which is the most from any player.

Cap Uzan contributed as well with 18 points, three assists, and two steals.

Hankins had 15 points, four assists, and two steals.

As a whole, the Warriors shot the ball well at 53.4% from the field.

They were also very efficient from the free-throw line converting 17-19.

With shooting percentages like those, the Warriors give themselves a chance to beat any team that is across from them.

With the win, Westcliff has an overall record of (8-7) and a conference record of (7-5).

Up next they will play UC Merced on Feb. 2, tip-off will be at 7:30 PM.